Application instantiation based upon attributes and values stored in a meta data repository, including tiering of application layers objects and components

1. A program product having machine-readable program code for establishing a multi-layered, object-oriented software application, comprising: an object repository containing a plurality of object attributes and definitions, along with associated values; a data manager layer connected to the object repository, running on a first computer and operable to maintain an object-oriented abstraction of data within the object repository; an object manager layer connected to the object repository and the data manager layer, running on the first computer and operable to maintain a plurality of business objects, wherein the plurality of business objects are organizable into projects and wherein the projects can be locked, checked-out, or checked-in; an applet manager layer running on at least two computers separate from the first computer and operable to maintain a plurality of user-interface objects including applet objects, wherein each of the layers contains at least one interface for communications between the layers, a user, or an external application, and further wherein the object repository contains an executable file for instantiating the user-interface objects in accordance with their corresponding attributes, definitions and values whenever a user of at least one of the two separate computers utilizes the user-interface objects.

2. The program product of claim 1 , wherein one of said at least one interface is an application programming interface by which third-party application access the business objects through standard protocols.

3. The program product of claim 1 , wherein the applet manager layer further comprises: applet objects having applet object definitions stored in the object repository and representing interactive visual components for interfacing with a user; and view objects having view object definitions stored in the object repository, wherein the applet manager layer reads the view object definition to determine which applet objects are required in response to a user view request, reads the applet object definitions and instantiates the applet objects to thereby draw associated interactive visual components based on the applet object definition and compatible with a one of the two separate computers running the instantiated applet objects.

4. The program product of claim 3 , wherein the applet manager layer manages interactions between the applet objects and the business objects based on the object attributes, definitions and values stored within the object repository.

5. The program product of claim 4 , wherein the business objects are mapped to their data sources in the object repository, and further wherein the data manager layer creates SQL objects that in turn generate the SQL necessary to deliver appropriate data to an applet object calling for the data from the repository through the business object.

6. The program product of claim 5 , wherein the SQL objects dynamically construct an efficient SQL statement to retrieve or update the data appropriately.

7. The program product of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of data bases in addition to the object repository to which the data manager layer has access.

8. The program product of claim 7 , further comprising a universal data exchange layer operable to translate the SQL statement into compatible SQL statements with one of the plurality of databases from which data is obtained.